We are investing in sports and talent development so that our youth can monetise their skills and expertise. The ongoing upgrading of our facilities will turn Kenya into a global sports powerhouse and make the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations a memorable event.At the Jamhuri Grounds,… pic.twitter.com/AG8kuAI9C7— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) March 1, 2024 President William Ruto on Thursday morning presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Talanta Sports City Stadium at the Jamhuri grounds on Ngong Road. The 60,000-capacity stadium is one of the host venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba alongside Principal Secretary Peter Tum, and other high-ranking government officials flanked the head of the nation at the historic groundbreaking.The construction of the stadium was approved by the Cabinet in October 2023 as part of Kenya’s commitment to hosting the 38th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027. The government had earlier contemplated building the stadium in Shanzu, Mombasa.President William Ruto expressed his vision for the project, stating, “This facility will be accompanied by renovations in Kasarani, Nyayo, Bukhungu to host all our competitions. We are also seriously considering another stadium in Mombasa. There was a huge debate as to whether we should have this stadium here or in Mombasa but I was persuaded to have it here (in Nairobi) but we will equally find a place in Mombasa to construct a good stadium,” We are investing in sports and talent development so that our youth can monetise their skills and expertise. The ongoing upgrading of our facilities will turn Kenya into a global sports powerhouse and make the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations a memorable event.At the Jamhuri Grounds,… pic.twitter.com/AG8kuAI9C7— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) March 1, 2024 “Many teams have met with me many times, we have gone back and forth because we wanted to ensure that the stadium is world-class and will be built in record time and cost-effective because we must account for every shilling that we spend. The stadium is not only going to serve our premier competitions but also the grounds will have opportunities for people from within to also use it.” He added.##NAJAVA_MECA_7910320##Furthermore, Ruto announced collaboration between the national government and Nairobi County to renovate the iconic City Stadium and the Woodley Ground in Kibra. “Ministry of Sport will work with the county government of Nairobi so that we can agree on how young sports women and men can also have access to use the facility (Talanta Sports City) so as we can grow talent from the local community. We are also going to work with Nairobi City County in renovations of City stadium and Woodley,” he said. We will be ready for CHAN, Kakamega County boss assures KenyansIn his concluding remarks, President Ruto reaffirmed his government’s commitment to fostering sporting excellence in Kenya. “We have developed and are already implementing with great determination the sports and creative industry development master plan, devoted to providing state-of-the-art competitions and training facilities to comfortably host and facilitate world-class competitions,” he stated.Harambee Stars to grace Four Nations tournament in Malawi next monthHe added, “AFCON 2027 is just the beginning of our nation’s journey as we look to become a regional sporting and global center for sport development. To get there, we are committed to investing to upgrade various sporting facilities including comprehensive renovation of Kasarani as well as construction of other new amenities.”
